


Til death do us part

by GulValCardi_F75



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 13:56:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15996605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GulValCardi_F75/pseuds/GulValCardi_F75
Summary: A Vulcan nurse was walking in front of her, showing the way through the multiple turbolifts and hallways of the huge medicare-station. The room she was heading for was located on 53th floor. There were very few rooms at this particular floor, with guards in front of the doors. Each patient here was a very special one.She began to shake. There she was…The guard entered a complex code on a green panel on the side of the door which slided open. Taking a big breath, she entered the room. The door shut silently behind her.“Kira, is that you?”





	Til death do us part

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER : Paramount owns the Star Trek universe and everything it encompasses. This story is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.
> 
> WHEN : Long after the USS Honshu did make it to Earth and "Waltz" didn't happen.
> 
> WHY : Even if most of those who watched DS9 were quite upset by the way Gul Dukat behaved with Kira Nerys, I was on the contrary dreaming of something happening between them. When hate hides love... and you can't admit it.  
> So, writing makes it possible. No smut here. 
> 
> Thank you Marc Alaimo for your extraordinary acting which made Dukat appear as the bad guy who wasn't always so bad, sometimes appealing, sexy, charming, definitely not evil.
> 
> COMMENTS : Yes ! Make free to give all your comments about this. I'll love it. As english is not my native language, be kind though…

*******

Though her arrival was expected, it took her almost an hour to get the visitor badge. Now a Vulcan nurse was walking in front of her, showing the way through the multiple turbolifts and hallways of the huge medicare-station. The room she was heading for was located on 53th floor. There were very few rooms at this particular floor, with guards in front of the doors. Each patient here was a very special one.

The nurse stopped near the room 53-92. She waved at one of the two armed guards sitting on chairs. He stood up and came to her. Standing on tiptoe, she whispered something to his ear; he checked his padd for a few seconds then nodded. The nurse turned and said : “You can get in. Take all the time you need. Just press the red button near the door when you want to get out, the guard will open it.”

She began to shake. There she was…The guard entered a complex code on a green panel on the side of the door which slided open. Taking a big breath, she entered the room. The door shut silently behind her.

The room was plunged in semi-darkness and the air was hot. She waited a few seconds for her sight to accommodate. Then she noticed an empty bed near the small window where stars were shining. The wall behind was covered with large colored panels displaying data, medical data, she thought. She also heard some regular beeps.

“Kira Nerys?” The hollow voice made her jump. It came from her right, from an armchair she didn’t see at first and the light was so dim she couldn’t see it clearly even now. The sound of this voice… that was the first time since… how long? Years. But she could never forget this voice, even if today, its tune had deepened. Her heartbeats began to increase.

“Kira, is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me”. Her voice was hoarse. // _Keep calm, she said to herself; you knew it, you came for this._ //

“Why, Ma-jor…”

“No, Colonel” she replied more firmly.

“Well…” and after a few seconds “Congratulations! But excuse me if I cannot stand to greet you. I’d like to, but to be honest with you, I’m just… dying.” The voice was very slow, even slower than it used to be, and it was faint too.Kira took a few steps toward the armchair.

“You can put more light if you wish, Maj… Colonel. They were kind enough to make me more comfortable now. »

“You can call me Nerys” she whispered. To her surprise, there was no answer. She went to heighten the light but not too much. Turning around, she could now see him, and she silently gasped.

Dukat was sitting in the armchair, looking intensely at her. Was it really him… yes, but the man before her was no more the Dukat she remembered. Her body shook. She should have known.

The last time she saw him was during his trial on Bajor. He was still proud, dominating and bragging at the time. It was… no more than 5 years ago. She remembered she really didn’t want to attend the trial which lasted for months. But she had to, as major witness to what happened on Bajor during the Occupation and what followed. She remembered above all how much she tried not to look at him or make any eye contact during those painful long days.

Dukat was life-sentenced and immediately sent to a penitentiary station on the far edge of the Alpha Quadrant. She never heard of him again until two weeks ago, until Benjamin Sisko, former Commander of DS9 Station, called her to make an unusual proposition which she accepted immediately.

There he was, Dukat, his incredible blue eyes staring at her. He wore a slight grey short-sleeved shirt with a big white serial number on it. She could guess the medical sensors applied on his skin. He also had a pair of trousers, of the same color.. But, Prophets, his shape was so thin now. He used to be slender, thin, but not that thin. He was … skinny. On his arms and his neckridges, lots of scales had disappeared. The remaining ones were almost white, as his skin. His hair was tainted with grey. And he looked so… tired, emaciated.

“What are you doing here, Nerys?” Dukat asked with a croaked voice. “You’re the one person I didn’t expect to ever see again”. 

“Who else came to see you?” 

“Benjamin did. Two months ago, after he had me brought here. You see, I still enjoy calling him Benjamin…” His eyes were now sparkling. She rejoiced and sighed. His sense of humor was still here. 

“Dukat”, her voice was gentle now, “what happened? ” though she knew it already.<

After a moment, he answered :“Nerys, the conditions of my detention were… hard. I don’t say that so you pity me”, he added with a little wave of the hand and as quickly as he could to prevent her from responding harshly. “But somehow, someone alerted Benjamin about my bad health; he came without warning at the penitentiary, saw me, ordered an inquiry and discovered what had happened. I was already in… pretty bad shape then and in spite of all the care I’m being given here, it is getting worse and there is no way to prevent…”. He stopped, out of breath.

Kira sighed. Sisko told her what happened. Though the penitentiary was under Federation regulation, it was a remote station, with rare controls, and was at the time ruled by a Commander whose methods proved to be totally reprehensible and it appeared that Dukat had been badly ill-treated. For years, he had been kept in a cold cell, subject to starvation, beaten and even tortured. From times to times, he was given cares but only to resume mistreatments when he was in better shape and always stopping before he could die. It went on 5 years. After these crimes were revealed, the Commander and a part of the wardens had been dismissed and sentenced. Sisko asked that Dukat be brought to the medicare-station but had to ask a special approval of Bajor’s High Council which he received. He soon learned that it was too late. The internal damages were now too severe to be cured. Without really thinking about the implications, he proposed Kira to come to the station and see him. To his surprise, she immediately agreed.

She brought another chair closer and sat just beside him, her legs brushing his. She softly put her hand on his arm and looked straight at him. “Dukat, I know what they did to you. Benjamin told me. I was horrified. Oh Prophets, I swear that was not what I wanted at the time they sentenced you.Believe me. That’s why I came. Benjamin told me that I could visit you if I wished and I wished it… I had to come to tell you”.

Dukat smiled, closing his eyes. He leaned back in the armchair and said softly: “There was a time Nerys, I would have died with joy just to hear such words from you…and feeling your touch like this” . She didn’t withdraw her hand; on the contrary, she took his cool hand and held it tight.

“How did you resist until now? How didn’t we know what was happening?”

Without opening his eyes, he made a half-smile: “Cardassians are strong Nerys, you know that. I used all my meditation training skills to overcome this but it only worked out to a certain point. The worst for me was not starvation, although it made my skin shed several times and I definitively lost a great part of my scales, nor the beatings but the cold. Ah Nerys, the cold… that’s my weakness…” 

“Don’t talk too much… it will tire you”. 

“I’m so happy to see you, Nerys…”// _Oh, the way he said **Nerys…** It made her shiver_ //.“You know, you helped me go through this ordeal”. 

‘”I helped you?” she asked, surprised.<

“Yes, without knowing it. During the first months or years, I don’t remember because I quickly lost the measure of time, I refused to think about the people I cared for in my life, Naprem, Ziyal… and you; it would hurt too much and I didn’t want to show them any weakness they could use against me. But as I had more difficulties to endure the pain, I called you in my dreams. Sometimes it was Naprem or Ziyal, some other time it was you. Of course it was just my imagination but it brought me strength.”

“Dukat I have something to say to you” she said softly. ”Please, don’t interrupt me because I’ve been thinking about it all the way and it’s difficult for me. But I came for this”. He nodded. 

“You remember I attended your trial”. He nodded again. “The day it was over, I came home with a deep feeling of relief. It was over. All was over. I’m sorry to say that but in the evening, we even had a great party with Bajoran friends to celebrate. I relished to explain them how it all ended and that the tribunal life-sentenced you for a part of what happened during the Occupation.” 

She stopped. Dukat held his breath and stared at her. He could feel her hands stiffen around his.

Then she went on: “A part… but not all”. She looked straight at him and to her surprise, his eyes lowered. It never happened before that Dukat did not sustain her look. “On this very evening, among my friends who were cheering, I suddenly realized that during all these years, I kept holding you responsible for *all* that happened during the fifty years of occupation. All. And… I was wrong.” Her voice broke.

Dukat still said nothing, and slowly withdrew his hands but only to take hers, firmly. They were warm. She felt a tear drop from her eye, then another.

“Don’t cry, Nerys” he whispered low. “The Nerys I love doesn’t cry, never”.

She didn’t react violently at these words like she would have years ago. She glanced at him and went on stuttering, with sobs: “I thought I would spend a wonderful and peaceful life after that but it didn’t turn out as I hoped. They all said I changed. I began to have problems to sleep, I became harder, even more short-tempered; I had to see a doctor.” 

“A doctor …”’ 

“Well, you know… a psychologist. He was half-betazed. It lasted weeks; talking about my life, my youth, my parents, my commitment in the Resistance, and talking about… you”. Dukat kept silent. “You know how stubborn I was.., I am”. She saw him grin. “One day, he just told me that the therapy was over. I was shocked because I didn’t feel much improvement. I told me he just couldn’t help someone denying a simple truth…” 

“A simple truth?” Dukat looked at her, his eyes narrowing. 

“I was waiting for his explanation and he just said: “You miss him. You love him though you keep denying it inside because you feel it is treason. Perhaps you’ll never forgive him but just accepting him as your other half will lead you to peace.”

She broke down in tears. She withdrew her hands to catch a handkerchief in her side-bag. Dukat seized it out of her hand.

“Come close to me Nerys”.

She came closer, still sobbing and shaking …. He softly cupped her chin in his cool hand, tilting her head towards him. She let him do, looking at him through her drowned eyes, letting a soft and warm wave run through her body. And, with difficult but careful moves, he gently wiped the tears off her face. During what seemed to last an eternity, they couldn’t take their eyes of each other, brown eyes meeting blue eyes…

Suddenly, his hand opened and the handkerchief fell on the floor. He leaned back, moaning with pain. He was pale and sweating. She stood up, alerted: « I call for help! »

“No… stay with me!” he whispered, grabbing her arm with an unexpected strength and pulling her toward him. She was so close to him now, he could feel her soft breath on his face. “Tell me…tell me Nerys… “

Yes. The moment had come. Now there was no turning back.

“I came because I had to tell it all to you. I couldn’t do it before because visits at the penitentiary station were forbidden. »

Dukat was waiting, his heart beating so fast he was sure she could hear it.

« He was right, you know. The doctor. He was so right”, she sighed. And then, looking deep into his blue-eyes, the words held so long eventually broke through : “Oh Dukat, I miss you so much; those arguing, those teasings, our quarrels, they were all part of me, part of you; it was… our game, to both of us alone. I also know that I should have put an end to this game earlier and admit my true feelings for you but I was blinded by my wrong thoughts. I didn’t see anything under this armor I created to protect me until this very evening. Prophets, I miss you… ».

“Nerys,” his voice was so low now and his eyes anchored to her’s, “Nerys, listen. I love you. I’ve loved you since the day we found the Ravinok together, on Dozaria. You see, it’s been a long time…”

The words made their way deep inside her, softly wrapping around her mind, around her heart that was now beating so fast. Yes he loved her. She’d guessed it long ago but without being ever sure. Hehad always been so damn annoying and confusing…

She gently leaned her head on his chest and he put a hand on her cheek. “Oh Dukat, forgive me, forgive how blind I was. I love you too… but I was so afraid of you …”.

“Afraid of me? Why, Nerys… No, **I** , I was afraid of you. If you ever found I loved you at this time, what would you have done to me… you would have crushed me. I was too proud to show such a defeat but I was defeated. Every time you were looking at me, I was defeated. Come closer…”.

“No, I will hurt you…”.

“Please, I want to feel you, to touch you while it’s still time”.

She cautiously sat in his lap and put her arms around his neck, nesting her head against his throat and leaned against him. Before she could know, he put a hand under his shirt and stripped off the sensors out of his chest, letting them fall on the floor. She could smell the pheromones his body was now releasing. His arms slowly wrapped her waist and shoulders, holding her tightly against him. He breathed more rapidly. They stood still for minutes, warm, bounded together, at last.

“Nerys…” 

“Hmm ?“. 

“Did you say… you love me?” 

“Yes” she answered softly, “ I love you Dukat, I love you”. 

His arms held her even more tightly.

“What is your given name Dukat?”. She felt him chuckle. 

“After all these years, you don’t know it Nerys? What about Bajor’s Intelligence?” 

“Don’t tease… tell me…” she smiled against him. 

“It’s Skrain”. 

“She whispered:“Skrain…, Skrain…” trying to pronounce it the Cardassian way, like he did.

“You like it?” 

“Yes. Skrain, I love you… I love you so much”. 

He whispered to her ear : “Thank you Nerys for telling me.”

As she raised her head, she found herself kissing him and feeling him respond to her kiss. This deep, long-awaited moment made them both forget about all what had happened before. They were just Nerys and Skrain, feeling their bodies overwhelmed by passion and love, having found their paradise. Out of breath, their mouths parted. He pressed her head on his shoulder.

*******

Time had passed. She realized that she fell asleep in the arms of the one she once hated so much and she loved so much now. But something was wrong. His arms didn’t hold her tight any more. They were lying still at his sides. She felt suddenly terribly cold. Without moving her head from his chest, she tried to listen and heard… nothing. No heartbeat, no breath from his…Trying to stand up, she looked at him. His eyes were open, his blue eyes, which couldn't see her now, and… a smile on his mouth. He was gone quietly while she was sleeping.

They found her a moment later, leaning on him, crying. She had spent so much time inside than one of the guards decided to open the door and check if everything was alright. He had immediately called for the nurse who softly took her by the shoulders. “It’s over. Come with me now”. Kira sobbed: “Please, let me stay with him, I want to take care of him ”.

***

Following Kira’s wishes which were approved by Bajor’s High Council after long debates in these extraordinary circumstances, Dukat was eventually buried on Bajor, beside Ziyal’s grave. Kira just asked for a very simple ceremony, with only one Vedek and very few close friends. His grave was covered with a simple flat black stone with his name. Skrain Dukat. Nothing more.

Benjamin Sisko was the only one of the previous Deep Space Nine crew to attend the ceremony as Kira asked him. He knew how hard it was for her but she owed him these last moments of revelation and joy.

Everybody had left, letting them standing together, near the grave. The red sun was slowly downing behind the beautiful landscape of Bajor.

Sisko wrapped a tender arm around her shoulders: “Will you be all right Nerys?”

She shivered. “Yes, I think I will, I have to ». She added: «You know, Ben, there is one thing I didn’t say to him because, even at this moment, I just couldn’t imagine I would ever be able to say it. But now, I feel I’m ready and I know the Prophets will allow him to listen to me.”

She kneeled in front of the grave, closed her eyes, put her hands on the warm stone and began to sing the words of the moving ancient bajoran death chant, opening widely her pagh to the Prophets. After long minutes, the song stopped. Sisko was standing still behind her. Nerys was softly crying, her spirit exhausted by her surrender to the Prophet’s will. Then he heard her whispering low : “Dukat, I forgive you. May the Prophets welcome you now.” When she stood up, he saw she was smiling.

 

Stardate 1509.18


End file.
